1. Field of the Invention
This invention is generally directed to food preparation devices and particularly to an automated fruit and vegetable peeler having a rotary cutting element which is mounted within an enclosed housing with the cutting elements being accessible through an opening created between relatively adjustable plates which are mounted in spaced relationship with respect to the cutting element. The relatively adjustable plates permit an adjustment to be made to allow variations in the depth of cut with respect to a particular fruit or vegetable and to permit the opening between the plates to accomodate a variety of sizes of fruits and vegetables being peeled utilizing the device.
2. History of the Prior Art
Heretofore, there have been many developments with respect to cutting mechanisms which are utilized in the culinary arts to aid in the preparation of comestible products. These devices are utilized to cut, shred, peel or otherwise prepare fruit and vegetables for serving or for cooking especially, as many fruit and vegetables must be prepared for serving or cooking by removing or cutting the outer peeling or skin therefrom.
Over the years, it has been the predominant practice to peel fruit and vegetables by hand or by use of hand held peeling devices. Such techniques and devices are not only slow and tedious to use but also require a great deal of physical effort to be exerted when preparing such foods for preparation or consumption. In addition, hand held slicing, peeling and cutting implements are inherently dangerous.
In order to make the preparation of foods such as fruits and vegetables less labor intensive and safer, various machines have been designed for use in the kitchen for use in removing the peelings from fruits and vegetables. In U.S. Pat. No. 1,481,547 to Garrette, a vegetable peeler is disclosed which is mounted to a countertop. The mechanism includes a rotor by which a cutting element in the form of an annular band carries cutting projections which are used to engage the peeling or skin of a fruit or vegetable which is held within an opening in a guard plate which is supported in spaced relationship from the rotary cutting elements. In the use of the device, the opening to the cutting blades is of a fixed size and is substantially larger in some instances than may be necessary and thereby may enable a person's fingers to accidentally pass therethrough into engagement with the cutting elements as the cutting element is rotated. In addition, there is no adjustment possible with respect to the spacing between the opening in the guard plate and the cutting element, therefore, the depth of the cut must be manually limited by holding the fruit or vegetable in relatively spaced relationship with respect to the cutting element. Thus, there is no means to insure a uniform depth of cut with respect to the fruit or vegetable especially when the fruit or vegetable is of a size to be wholly positioned within the opening in the guard plate. The Garrette structure, therefore, is generally not adequate for normal use because it does not provide means for adjusting the depth of cut with respect to the particular fruit or vegetable being peeled and further in that the enlarged opening into the cutting elements creates a hazardous condition which may lead to injury during the use of the peeling machine.
As the amount of skin or peeling which must be removed varies depending on the specific fruit and/or vegetable being peeled, it is of importance that any type of peeling machine permit a relative adjustment to be made to the cutting depth of the blades with respect to the fruit or vegetable so that the entire peel is removed without cutting, severing or wasting the meat of the fruit or vegetable as would be the case if too great a depth of cut is made with respect to such fruit or vegetable. It is also of importance to insure that the design of cutting or peeling machine be such as to insure the safety of the operator from accidental injury. Therefore, any open access to the cutting elements of such machinery should be restricted so as to permit only the fruit and vegetables to be acted upon by the cutting elements during the use of such machinery.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,214,714 to Graham, a fruit cutting apparatus is disclosed having a rotating cutting element having associated therewith an adjustable funnel for directing food to be grated or cut into relationship with the rotating cutting elements. The apparatus is not designed for removing the peel from fruits and vegetables, as any fruit or vegetable placed within the funnel would be totally grated or sliced to pass through the opening between the funnel and the cutter, but does provide for a means for adjusting the distance between the food or material guide and the cutting elements. However, such adjustment is made at a point after which the cutting elements have engaged the material contained within the hopper or funnel so that any adjustment would have no effect on the depth of cut with respect to a whole fruit or vegetable being placed therein. In addition to the foregoing, the cutting elements are fully exposed outside of the cutting mechanism housing and could therefore be easily accidentally engaged by someone utilizing the device.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,055,308 to Ackeret, another food cutting machine or mechanism is disclosed wherein various cutting elements may be selectively oriented into generally planar relationship with a food guide which is disposed in the upper portion of the housing of the cutting device. Although the cutting elements are spaced within a protective housing, there is no relative adjustment to permit the depth of cut to be varied between the cutting blades and the food guide, and therefore, the same depth of cut will be obtained for any type of fruit or vegetable passing over any one of the selected cutting elements.